The Carolina Panthers got a strong performance from Cam Newton, and the running game showed up on Sunday. But somehow, Carolina still found a way to lose to the worst team in the NFL in an emotional game.
Offense: A
QB Cam Newton matched a career high with three touchdown passes and rushed for 78 yards. DeAngelo Williams added 67 yards rushing, his most since Week Two, and Steve Smith had his biggest day of the season with 120 receiving yards. The offense wasn’t the reason the Panthers lost this game. Previous game's grade: A-
Defense: F
Entering the game, Kansas City had gone nearly three hours of game time without scoring a touchdown and hadn’t scored on the opening drive of the game all season. The Chiefs marched down the field and scored in 3:11 against a Panthers defense that couldn’t stop them. Brady Quinn threw for two touchdowns -- his first scoring passes since 2009 -- and was a nearly-perfect 19 of 23. Previous game's grade: B
Special teams: C+
The Panthers avoided a big special teams mistake. That doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a vast improvement over previous weeks. Armanti Edwards averaged 20.5 yards on kick returns. Joe Adams returned a punt for 12, and punter Brad Nortman was consistent. Previous game's grade: D
Coaching: C-
A professional staff shouldn’t struggle to get exactly 11 players on the field for every play of the game, but the Panthers struggled again. The team used a time out to resolve personnel confusion, and the defense later got flagged for 12 men on the field. Previous game's grade: B+
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the Carolina Panthers from blogger Shawn Krest, follow @CBSPanthers.
